Fairy Tail The Ice Phoenix Chapter One
by sangoscourage
Summary: Natsu and Lucy are close team partners, Erza is in a league of her own, Gajeel has Panther Lily. Everybody in Fairy Tail seems to have their own close partners, all but a certain ice maker mage. There's more to the isolated Gray than his friends really perceive, perhaps a determining encounter will shatter his icy demeanour. Come in and find out what happens.
1. Chapter 1

Fairy Tail

The Ice Phoenix

Another Day In Fairy Tail

Chapter One

AN: I would like to give out a special shout out to ShadowPhoenix Ninja who is the author who created and posted this wonderful story. As many of you know, from my stories and reviews of other authors, I'm a fussy reader. And when I say that a story is great, it is. This story is based around Grey/Gray. I hope I can keep up to Ninja-san standards. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I have.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ **Third Person POV** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The semi drunk mage slammed yet another drained barrel onto the bar counter. The snow haired woman opposite raised a concerned eyebrow.

"Cana, this is your fourth barrel this morning."

The swaying brunette chuckled loudly then fell off her stool. Cana then fell onto a certain blue exceed's tail, Happy screeched and flew straight into the back of Elfman who, out of pure reflex, swung his colossal fist round to collide with Natsu's head, whilst roaring.

"A REAL MAN FIGHTS BACK!"

The angered pink haired dragon slayer looked around wildly, punching tables and chairs with fists of scorching fire. "WHERE ARE YOU FROZEN FEATURES!?"

An immediate response of five razor sharp ice daggers along with a freshly stripped blue shirt shot passed and narrowly missed the rampaging fire mage.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME ASH FACE!?" The ice wizard hollered, hurling more ice blades towards Natsu.

"GRAY YOUR CLOTHES!" Shrieked an exasperated blonde wizard who quickly covered her eyes. Gray glanced down frowning.

"Dammit, Not again."

Natsu held up a battered chair, deflecting the frozen missiles. At that moment, one of the deflected ice blades ricocheted off the stool, knocking a delicate looking dessert over to the floor. SPLAT, its pink and red frosting surrounded the fallen pudding like a bloody murder scene. Grief and sorrow filled the shocked eyes of the Titania as she whimpered. "…My poor strawberry cake…"

A dark, crimson aura began radiating throughout the guild; silence flooded the building, Natsu and Gray clutched onto each other, both shaking in fear.

"YOU…YOU BASTARDS KNOCKED OVER MY STRAWBERRY CAKE!"

She took a menacing step towards the two cowering mages, before unleashing the full extent of her power.

'"REQUIP! HEAVENS WHEEL!"

A whirlwind of axes, lances, swords and other extensive weaponry pelted down onto Natsu and Gray, who both immediately collapsed, unconscious. After persuading Erza to calm down, the entire guild went back to its normal loud talkative, brawling and drinking state. The blonde, celestial wizard crouched down and examined the two bleeding, unconscious mages and sighed.

"Someone help me take these two to Wendy, again."

It was just another typical day in the Fairy Tail guild. Mira just shook her head in disbelief at the half destroyed guildhall; sometimes they could really be a handful. Cana finally managed to flop back onto the bar stool, slurring her words. "Gimme another barrel Mira."

The ivory haired woman laughed heartily, passing over a barrel full to the brim with strong alcohol.

"Cana, you love it so much, I swear if it were legal, you would marry one of these barrels." On hearing this, the drunken mage wobbled slightly, regained her balance then winked at the barrel.

"C'mere beautiful." Hesitating for a quick breath, she messily downed the entire cask. Mira sighed; Yep, It really was a very typical day in Fairy Tail.


	2. Chapter 2

Fairy Tail

The Ice Phoenix

We're Nakama

Chapter Two

~~~~~~~~~~~~ **Third Person POV**

Lucy sprinted over to the table, ecstatically waving a crumpled piece of paper.

"Hey guys, check out this awesome request I found, all we have to do is take down a few bandits for 200,000 Jewels! All expenses covered, this one's perfect!"

Natsu flashed a toothy grin before punching his fists together.

"I'm all fired up Luce! Man, these bandits are gonna be a piece of cake!"

At the mention of cake, Erza growled angrily, causing the pink haired mage to violently flinch, she still hadn't quite forgiven them yet.

"I also shall join you on this quest Lucy." The Titania replied, still glaring at Natsu.

"Gray?" Lucy enquired looking over to the unusually quiet, topless wizard.

"You coming?"

Gray dully looked up from his slouched position and spoke flatly.

"Nah sorry, I'm taking this week off to go train near Mt Hakobe." He shrugged apologetically. Lucy regarded the sombre mage with concern and softened her tone.

"Gray, are you okay? You seem kind of down lately" He simply shrugged his shoulders once again and stared at the floor.

"We're your nakama; we're a team Gray. You can tell us anything."

She smiled encouragingly.

"Thanks, I know you guys want to help, but seriously I can deal with it, I'll be fine by the end of the week."

Much to the surprise of his fellow teammates, the dismal raven-haired mage got up and trudged out of the guild.

"What's up with ice cube?" Natsu questioned.

Erza observed both of the confused wizards and sighed. "Gray is upset because it was this time of year when his master Ur sacrificed her life to the demon Deliora."

Lucy gasped. "At Galuna island… I remember! Poor Gray, we should go and comfort him."

Erza shook her head. "He prefers isolation, it's his way of dealing with the pain."

The irritated blonde burst out in frustration. "How does that help!? Being alone, he always distances himself from us, I mean we could help if he wasn't so stubborn!"

Happy zoomed around her head giggling uncontrollably. "Aw, Lucy is sooo concerned, she loooooves him."

"SHUT UP CAT! I'm just worried about Gray."

"Just leave him be, Lucy, Gray will be normal again once the week is up."

The fuming celestial mage crossed her arms huffing. Natsu draped his arm around Lucy, playfully tweaking her nose.

"Cheer up Luce; you heard Erza, Popsicle will be fine."

Still noting the vexed expression on the blonde's face, Natsu hauled Lucy to her feet. "How about we go back to your place and start packing for that awesome mission!"

Lucy beamed at him; he sure knew how to cheer her up. "Okay, but no trashing my stuff or raiding my kitchen."

"Aw c'mon Luce, I'm hungry and we don't always mess up your place."

'YOU DO IT EVERY DAY!"

Natsu pouted."Fine. Happy let's go!"

"AYE SIR!"


	3. Chapter 3

Fairy Tail

The Ice Phoenix

Not Now Juvia

Chapter Three

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ **Gray POV** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I walked towards my apartment, hands shoved in my jeans, the previous conversation replaying itself in my head.

'We're your nakama, we're a team Gray. You can tell us anything.'

Urgh, What's the matter with me!? Frustration bubbled inside my torso. They're trying to help me out, why do I always refuse. I'm terrible at all this emotional stuff, Argh this is so annoying!

"GRAY-SAMA!" a familiar voice rang out.

Oh God, please not her, not today. I attempt to smile and awkwardly turn to face the expectant water mage. "Er, Sorry Juvia, I urgently need to train."

Her expression was beyond ecstatic, she flung herself onto me and I took a step back.

"THEN JUVIA SHALL TRAIN WITH HER BELOVED GRAY SAMA!" That was the complete opposite of the outcome I wanted. 'Damn, how am I supposed to get rid of her without hurting her feelings.'

"I'm sorry Juvia, but I really want to train alone." I hopefully waited for a reaction. The elemental wizard looked heartbroken. 'Oh no, were those tears in her eyes!? What do I do!? She's crying on me!'

"Gray-sama hates Juvia, he's not really going alone, Gray-sama will train with love rival Lucy! HE HATES JUVIA!"

This happened so fast; I'm up to my waist in water! I have to stop her from crying anymore or the entirety Magnolia is going to be submerged! I grabbed both of her flailing arms and yelled over her anguished cries.

"JUVIA LISTEN TO ME, I DON'T HATE YOU. YOU'RE A GREAT PERSON AND I DON'T LOVE LUCY. I AM GOING TO TRAIN BY MYSELF, NO ONE ELSE. GOT IT?"

I watched in relief as the torrents of water thankfully subdued and retreated. Juvia was breathing heavily and sniffling between her words.

"Juvia is sorry...for doubting her…beloved Gray-sama…Juvia will…go home now." I mentally fist bumped myself for that victory, now I can finally go and train.

"Okay Juvia, thanks for understanding." She gave me a watery smile before skipping in the opposite direction. I shook my head in bewilderment, she was enthusiastic, then heartbroken and now she's happy again? 'I'll never understand girls.'

When I reached my apartment, I felt numb inside. The memories of Ur came flooding back, when she scolded Lyon for his cockiness, how every night she would tell us ancient legends and when she taught me my first ever ice shield. Amongst all my nostalgia, there was also _that_ memory, the day she sacrificed her life, for me. I felt warm tears building up in my eyes so I squeezed them shut, not letting a single one fall.

'Gray Fullbuster doesn't cry.' I growled to myself. I felt empty; my chest felt hollow and painfully tight. Whenever it's near the anniversary of her death, the memories and the nightmares come back to haunt me, especially the nightmares. I clenched my fists in aggravation; I will not let my emotions get the better of me.

I took a deep breath and began to pack my rucksack for a week in Mt Hakobe. I didn't pack much, just the bare essentials; boxers, trousers, shirt (Just one because I'd probably end up loosing it.), a jacket, toothbrush, some bandages, water bottle and some jewels. Fully packed, I locked up my apartment and took a taxi that dropped me off near Mt Hakobe. I looked up at the vast snow coated mountain range.

"Ice make pick-axe!" Grasping the smooth tool firmly, I plunged it into the frozen rock and began my exhausting ascent to the top.


	4. Chapter 4

Fairy Tail

The Ice Phoenix

I Can't Die This Way

Chapter Four

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ **Third Person POV** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Springtime, It was at this time of year when Mt Hakobe was a major tourist attraction; people from all over Fiore would come just to catch a glimpse of the magnificent aurora that would be visible on top of the mountain for only three days. Not wanting to be anywhere near the jostling horde of eager visitors, Gray decided to spend his week of self-contemplation and intense training on the neighbouring peak, Mt Iwa.

Not many travellers venture near Mt Iwa for many reasons; it could be because of the severe blizzards or the extremely hostile creatures, however the main reason people avoided the summit was because there was a cryptic, magical presence emitting from the west side of the mountain. Gray was fully aware of the hazard that the mountain held. Good, he thought, at least the danger would be a temporary distraction from the memories. The villagers at the foot of the pinnacle believed that the powerful magical ambience on the west side of the mountain was part of a cursed angel's soul, one villager claimed that he saw it flying near the forest. Gray refused to believe in the local superstition however he could feel the strong presence.

Drops of perspiration slid off his forehead as he gradually scaled the broad mountain, grunting slightly when the jagged rocks viciously torn his pale skin. The weary ice mage hauled his lacerated body onto a flat clearing high up on the mountain, and observed his surroundings; Fir trees were scattered all around, a cold blanket of glistening snow covered the ground as well as a narrow winding river that cut through it, other than that the terrain seemed quite desolate.

A brief swish of glimmering silver flashed behind Gray, he managed to glimpse it in the corner of his eye, but when he swiftly turned around there was nothing there. Shrugging it off, he assumed the reduced air pressure was just messing with his head. He grasped the rucksack strap and tugged it off his bare shoulders. Wait, bare shoulders? A brisk glance down confirmed his suspicions. He was topless.

'Baka, that was your only shirt. Stupid habit, thanks a lot Ur, you-'

He snapped crossly and then hesitated, his azure blue eyes widened, realising what he had said.

"Master…I didn't mean it. I'm sorry." He whispered quietly, unconsciously fiddling with his silver necklace. The coniferous trees seemed to circle, loom over him, he felt so trapped and small, like a kid again. The memory was back. He could remember her protectively standing in front of him, facing Deliora; he could remember her casting iced shell, he could remember her body dissipating into ice. No matter how many times his nakama had said 'it wasn't your fault', no matter how hard they tried to comfort him, Gray knew Ur died because of him. Her last words echoed repeatedly in his head.

"I've freed you from the darkness Gray..." He sank to his knees, words tumbling out in shaky gasps. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

A single tear escaped his left eye; it slid down his cheek dropping onto the crisp snow beneath. All of his anger, guilt and his sorrow churned and bubbled within his core, all of these mixed emotions savagely clawed at his chest, desperately seeking freedom. Gray couldn't take it anymore; he hunched over, clutching his head with his calloused hands and screamed into the dreary sky. A few minutes later he slowly calmed down, taking deep breaths to steady his hitched breathing. Feeling small sharp pains in his hand, he examined it; a cross-shaped intent was set in his palm, a thin line of blood trickled down from it. He hadn't realised how hard he was gripping the silver pendant.

'Why am I so pathetic?'

The air around him changed, snow fell, harsher, thicker, the wind picked up a pace, spinning rapidly, kicking up snow and mist that blurred his vision. Gray sat up and squinted, he had to find a shelter and fast. A high-pitched howl broke through the whistling wind. He quickly looked back into the centre of the gyrating ice tempest. Towering creatures emerged from the heart of the storm; they were giant leathery winged lizards, completely covered in translucent scales as well as serrated barbs running down each wing. Gray narrowed his eyes.

'Blizzard Wyverns.'

The hideous beasts trained their amber irises on him, grinding their keen fangs together menacingly whilst they constantly prowled in his direction. Gray knew by the hungry glint in their eyes that they were poised to strike soon; he could either run or take them down, fast. Weighing down his narrow options, the raven-haired wizard chose to fight. Planting both of his feet firmly shoulder width apart, he held his left hand aloft, fingers splayed whilst his right on top, balled into a fist.

"Ice make geyser!"

A cluster of acute ice shards erupted from beneath the snow, accurately puncturing the soft underside of their necks. He watched the skewered monsters dematerialize into a shower of fresh snow. Thank God, they were dead. His long sigh of relief was interrupted by shrill screeches. How many were there!? The ice mage squinted through the endless torrents of sleet, attempting to locate the other wyverns through the thick snowstorm. The swarm of hail ruthlessly gnawed every inch of his bare skin, numbing his senses. Gray jolted when he heard the strident shriek again, only this time it was very close, too close. He only had time to register the monsters' pellucid limb before it crashed into his abdomen. Knocking him clean off his feet, winded. Lying flat on his back, dazed, he looked upwards through the shrouded mist and to his horror saw more and more wyverns advancing, imprisoning him. They pinned him down to the ground, flattening his legs with their hefty tails.

'Ice make lan-Aahhh!'

A nasty cracking sound filled the air as a wyvern vigorously slammed its talons down, crushing his left hand. Gray gasped in agony, pain seared excruciatingly throughout his wrist and fingers, he couldn't move his hand. Gritting his teeth and holding only his right fist up, he concentrated all of his magical energy to it.

'Ice make lance!'

Six, thin arrow-like spears jutted out from his raised palm, four of them hit the nearest wyvern, however inflicting minimal damage. The rest feebly shattered on contact with their scales. Deep down Gray knew that his spell wouldn't have worked, Ur had always told him how one-handed maker magic creations would fail when you needed them most. Well it was worth a try.

'This can't be it, I can't die like this.'

He murmured looking up at the snarling beasts. The largest wyvern near his head bared its pointed teeth, almost like a sly grin. Milky saliva dripped from its wide-open jaws, the other creatures slowly backed away. This one had to be the pack leader. Gray could see its golden eyes glowing hungrily in the icy tempest. He could see its neck vein twitch; he knew it was ready to kill. Gray closed his eyes when it lunged at his neck…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gray POV~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The pointed fangs of the beast grazed my neck but then it stopped. I heard the surrounding monsters yelp in panic, panic? I snapped my eyes open and was shocked. The pack leader's severed head lay by my side, its still, glassy orbs were wide in surprise. I saw the rest of its body above me, halfway up its neck was a bleeding stump. The limp parts of the detached wyvern shuddered, a white mist encircled both bits of its body and it dispersed completely into a flurry of snowflakes. It was dead. I lifted my head off the ground and saw a graveyard; decapitated monsters were strewn all over the ice, small ruptures of snow confirmed more deaths and hacked wyvern chunks rained down from the sky. That's when I saw it, a giant eagle-like bird, swooping down on the fearful wyverns, effortlessly slicing through their brawny bodies with its agile wings. Within five minutes, half of the wyverns were annihilated, the rest that survived squawked in terror and scarpered.

I was too stunned to move. It soared downwards and landed near by my side. Silver and white feathers adorned its entire body; a fierce magical energy was pulsating from it. It turned its head towards me, fixing its keen eyes onto mine. I notice that its irises were almost brown except for the multiple silver streaks entwined inside it.

I don't know what to do, should I trust it? Does it even understand me? It did save my life, but did it mean to? This creature is extremely powerful and dangerous, but it hasn't killed me, yet. It placed it's left talons around my waist. That was the sign I needed, I attempted to roll over, away from it since my legs were still paralysed from the force of the wyvern tail however my attempt was cut short as the silver bird carefully planted it's right talons on the other side of my waist, holding me in place. It peered intently at me; it's grip and expression softened as it saw me struggling. A small surge of hope tugged at my chest, maybe it did understand. If it understands me, it could help me, maybe it is helping me after all. I ceased my struggles, allowing it to scoop me up in its firm claws. It gave one final cautious glance at me. I nodded. It crouched down, spread its gleaming wings and leapt into the darkening sky. A powerful rush of air whisked past me, cool wind raked through my hair and the distant, snow covered ground glistened far below. I contently closed my eyes whilst the feeling of flight filled my senses, this feeling; it was the definition of freedom. The winged creature let out a sharp caw and wheeled towards the left side of the mountain. I noticed that the storm had subsided on this part of the peak. There was a waterfall flowing from it, there were more trees with lusher vegetation and I could actually hear other animals chattering within the pine forests.

As we neared the rocky summit, I spotted a hollowed out section in the mountain, I guessed that's where we were heading. Sure enough that's where we landed. The bird gently set me down on the ground, which was surprisingly soft; the entire floor was made up of feathers, dry leaves, pine needles and snow, it was assembled like a nest.

My limbs painfully ached and I knew that my hand was definitely broken badly, in several places at least. I yawned wearily and lay down. The bird shuffled next to me, it unfurled one of its immaculate wings and protectively draped it over me, like a blanket. Its wing was silky and warm. Although I didn't feel the cold, it was comforting in a way; I didn't feel alone.


	5. Chapter 5

Fairy Tail

Ice Phoenix

Chapter 5 – Partners?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gray POV ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I woke up the next morning, stretching out my sore limbs. As the sunlight danced through the large opening, illuminating the compact nest. Rays of light reflected and bounced off the ice-coated walls, brightening the cave even more. My thoughts drifted to what had happened yesterday; a very large bird had saved me from a pack of blizzard wyverns. I peered over my shoulder and a feeling of dejection washed over me; the silver bird was gone.

As comfortable as I was, I pushed myself off the cushiony floor into a standing position; my aching legs swayed slightly but I managed to stay up. I tried walking a few paces to test them out; staggering a few steps I made it to the opening. A cool breeze rolled across my face. I looked over the edge; this cavern had to be at least seven thousand feet high. How the heck was I supposed to get back to Magnolia? I noticed from the mouth of the cave, there was a long, slender ledge that lead to the waterfall.

I scrutinized my scratched and grimy torso; I really needed a shower. I attentively edged my way along the narrow path, pressing my palms against the rough rock. I painfully winced when I put weight on the left palm. I had forgotten all about it, it looked seriously bad; the back of it was swollen, my entire hand had turned nasty shades of green and purple and two of my fingers jutted out at awkward, unnatural angles. I leant down, scraped up a handful of snow near my feet and smeared all over the swollen bruises. It would have to do for now since there obviously were no other means of healing it.

I kept inching my way along the thin floor, my hand numbing from snow until the waterfall loomed over me. It was huge! Torrents of fresh water gushed over the ledge, bouncing off the mountain. I tentatively prodded the downpour; it was brisk and cool, before plunging my whole head under it. I sighed in content as the refreshing deluge ran down my back; the tranquil water gently trickled down my grazed shoulders. Gradually, I rinsed and scrubbed off all the mud, grime and blood from my body. After I removed all the visible traces of dirt, I just stood there, beneath the fall, contemplating the awakening forest below.

'I wonder how their mission is going. I bet they're having a great time. God I hope that flame retard hasn't destroyed another town!' As I kept thinking about my nakama, I realised that the more I thought of them, the lonelier I felt. 'It's what you wanted, it's what you need; isolation.'

I gladly headed back to the nest, hoping that my winged saviour had returned. As I stepped back in to the cave, the bird was there looking down at something. A limp, brown object dangled from its talons, my rucksack! It put its beak inside the bag and rustled around, What was it looking for? I hadn't packed any food.

I edged closer, curious of the bird's actions. It hesitated, eyes widened in victory before nudging out the roll of bandages from my backpack with its beak. I gasped in surprise. I assumed the bird had smelt a bit of food on it or something, but I was wrong, so wrong. I had underestimated this creature's intelligence; it really did understand my situation. The bird picked up the wad of white strips between its beak, walked over and halted right in front of me, waiting. I held out my hand and sure enough, it plopped the roll into my palm.

"Thank you." I whisper, not breaking eye contact with it. It blinked once, but kept the gaze. Was that a sign or a reflex? Did we both just understand each other? I decided to see if we could actually communicate.

"If you understand me nod your head." I held my breath, seconds ticked by, but the bird stood still. After a minute I sighed wearily, I really did believe that it could…wait, my thoughts were cut off, the silver creature had nodded its head. I breathed out. 'I knew it.'

It fixed me with another stare. I wanted to keep up the conversation.

'I'm Gray Fullbuster. I'm an ice maker mage from the Fairy Tail guild.'

I paused, noticing the creature's confused expression.

'Do you know what a guild is?'

It shook its head.

'Well, a guild is like a big magical family, we care and look out for each other. My guild is called Fairy Tail; people from all over Fiore send us job requests for help or to solve their problems, and that's basically what we do, we help people.'

The bird had a wistful look...it then started to make a sort of happy, pleading whirling sound. It was like it was asking if it could see what I was talking about. I smiled gently while I started to unwind the gauze.

"Would you like to see the Fairy Tail guild?" It nodded its head rapidly while trilling happily. It saw what I was doing and went to the side of the cave and gathered a couple of straight sticks to use as make shift splints.

The bird held one end of the sticks while I quickly wrapped the gauze around them. When I was done, it snapped off the ends of the twigs, close to the edge of my hand. 'I can't keeping calling this bird an it.'

"You know, I can't keep calling you an it, so are you a female? I received a nod.

"Do you have a name?" That question came with a look of sadness in her eyes. She looked away like I was going to make fun of her for that fact.

"Don't worry, I'll come up with a name for you." Just as she trilled happily, my stomach growled.

She made a sound of amusement and I playfully stuck my tongue out at her. She did the same in return as she lowered herself to the ground and gestured for me to get on. I carefully climbed on, and when I was settled, she jumped off the ledge of the cliff and descended down towards a forest that wasn't too far off.

When we entered the forest, I couldn't believe how beautiful it was. The trees stood tall and proud and the grass and shrubbery were thick and plentiful. She set me down in a clearing near an open area where a fire could be lit. The area was covered in bushes teaming with blueberries, raspberries and all kind of fruit.

As she flew off in to the forest, I started to collect firewood; knowing she was going to catch some meat for the meal. After getting enough wood I somehow managed to start a fire with a couple of rocks. I hate to admit it, but fire breath did come in handy when it came to starting fires. A few minutes later, my new friend came back with a couple of rabbits and fish. I quickly skinned the rabbits and put them on long sticks by fire to cook.

Having finished my meal, I sat back and looked at my left hand. Now, how was I supposed to practice my attacks! It was still throbbing a bit and I was sure bones had been broken. I sighed as I thought that I had failed in my mission to improve my fighting skills. Suddenly I heard a worried trilling and looked across the fire to see my feathered friend staring at me with her head tilted to the side.

"It's alright. It's just that I came up here to train for a week, and now I can't. I need two hands for my ice attacks to work properly." She looked at me for a second and then prodded at my right hand and gave me a questioning look. "This is only half of the attacks I make." I told her and created a cold mist around my hand.

She stared at my hand for a moment, with a look of concentration. Her eyes brightened and nudged my hand again and brought the tips of her wings together for a moment. I was puzzled at what she wanted me to do, before it came to me. My friend wanted me to try and make an ice ball. 'Why not, I have nothing to lose.' I brought the mist up again and pictured an ice ball forming in my hand. After a few moments, a ball started to form in the palm of my hand, but then it disintegrated.

"Well, that sort of worked." I said as I watched the small ball melt away in my hand. I had to smile as I heard my friend trill in happiness for me. "I'll try again later, but right now, we should be heading to Magnolia and my guild; that is if you still want to come back with me?" I should have known she wanted as I watch her nod her head in excitement. "But I need my rugsack, and it's still up in the nest."

My phoenix friend trilled and looked to the mountain and back to me. I understood what she was trying to indicate and nodded my head. She jumped and flew quickly to the nest. Just as she disappeared from sight, I heard a familiar voice and looked in that direction.

"Mirajane, what are you doing here?!" I said, getting to my feet.

"I had a bad feeling that you were in trouble so the master let me come. I can see that you're fine...except for you hand. What happened Grey?" MiraJane asked picking up my left hand gently.

"A sudden snow storm came up and a pack of blizzard wyverns found me yesterday. Two of them had managed to pin me to the ground and break my hand before a phoenix came and killed the wyvern that was about to finish me off. I couldn't use my powers or stand up, so I just watched her fight them off. In short, I would be inside the stomach of the lead wyvern if it wasn't for my savior." I replied as I had the feelings of gratefulness and pride towards my phoenix friend.

"What happened with your legs?" Mira asked.

"Two of those wyverns slammed their heavy tails down on my legs and came close to crushing them." Gray responded.

"I would like to meet him." MiraJane replied, smiling as she looked around. Just then, I saw my feathery friend return and land behind Mira with a thump.

"Actually, it's a female phoenix and she's right behind you." I answered, smirking a little as Mira slowly turned around and yelped a little as she saw the huge bird behind her. "Don't worry Mira, she's friendly."

"Well thank you for saving Gray. It was very nice of you to do that!" MiraJane replied kindly, not expecting the big bird to respond. After a moment it trilled and whistled in acceptance.

"She understands me?! What is her name?" MiraJane asked in surprise.

"Yes, she understands what we are saying. And no, she doesn't have a name yet. It's bit of a tender spot for her. She thinks you're going to make fun of her for that." Gray replied. Sure enough, when MiraJane looked over, Gray's feathery friend was looking away sadly.

"Hey there, I'm not going to make fun of you. I won't let anyone do that, okay!?" MiraJane reassured the big bird, gently stroking her beak. With a gentle push in to the offered hand, a happy trill filled the air around them.

"I think you just gained a new friend Mira." Gray replied, smiling. "If we're going back to Magnolia and the guild, we better get going. I think she'll let you ride on her back Mira. I can ride in her talons, so I can tell her which way to go, a little better." Gray replied, getting in front of the bird.

When Mira was settled and comfortable on the phoenix's back, she gently patted the base of the bird's neck to indicate she was ready. One taloned foot encircled Gray's waist and at his signal, the beautiful bird launched off the ground and flew up a few hundred feet before leveling out.

With Gray's instruction, the three were soon flying over the town of Magnolia. Many people looked up when they saw a large shadow pass over them. They started to panic but stopped when they saw Gray in one of the birds feet, and Mira sitting on the bird's back. When they landed in front of the guild, Gray and Mira stepped foreward a few feet and spoke to the crowd that was gathering.

"People of Magnolia, this bird is kind and gentle as long as you mean her or the ones she cares about no harm. She saved Gray's life yesterday and has become his friend. And mine. So anyone who harms her, will have to deal with me." Mira spoke out, and added a slight threat. A little girl suddenly ran forward, giggling. Her mother gasped and tried to reach for her without startling the big bird.

"Miss, she's very pretty! Can I pet her?" the little girl asked.

"Why don't you ask her? I'm sure she wouldn't mind. She's very smart." Mira replied sweetly.

"Okay. Pretty birdy, can I pet you?" the little girl asked, turning to the big bird.

The still, yet to be named bird sat down and lowered her head for the child to pet. As the child touched her, the silvery white bird trilled in a pleased manner. The crowd gasped and then cheered gently, happy to see the bird was indeed kind.

"We have to go now sweetie. You can see the birdy another time." the girl's mother replied, approaching the small group.

"Okay mommy. See you again pretty bird." the little girl called out, waving to the bird; who cawed gently back to the child.

"Gray-sama, what are you doing back so early? Are you alright my darling." Juvia asked frantically, seeing her love looking a little worse for wear.

"My hand is broken and I'm a bit banged up. Other than that, I'm fine. Some blizzard wyverns attacked me yesterday. I was rescued by this phoenix and she brought me and Mira down from the mountain." Gray answered.

"Juvia is so glad to hear that. Juvia thanks you...miss bird for saving Gray-sama." Juvia replied, slowly approaching the phoenix.

"Gray, I've seen and heard everything. She may stay as long as she doesn't cause harm to the guild. What is her name child?" Master Makurov asked.

"She doesn't have one at the moment. I'm going to try and think of one in the meantime. I'm very sure she won't harm anyone unless provoked. Is Porlyusica here?" Gray asked.

"Yes she is child. Let's get you in to see her before she leaves." the master replied and quickly headed in with Gray, the phoenix and Mira right behind him. "Porlyusica, if you don't mind, Gray's hand has been badly broken and it needs your attention."

"What happened to you boy?" Porlyusica replied gruffly, before noticing the somewhat large bird behind Gray.

"I was attacked by a pack of blizzard wyverns. I'm still alive, thanks to my bird friend here." Gray answered respectfully. He knew the elderly healer didn't care much for humans.

"My goodness, an ice phoenix! I do believe you have found the legendary ice phoenix; by the looks of her markings. You are very fortunate young man. Now come with me and I will tend to your hand." Porlyusica exclaimed.

After his hand was tended to and re-bandaged, he and his feathered friend headed home to shower and his friend to get to know the area a bit better. When they returned to the guild, the master met them at the front door and told them to go to the back where there was a lot more room for Gray's large companion.

They did so and were met by most of the guild. Levy was at a table reading a very old book that had everything that had been known about the phoenix.

"Gray, what are you doing back so early?!" Levy asked, shocked that her friend was back from his training session so early.

"I had a run in with blizzard wynvers. I was saved by a silvery white phoenix. She's outside in the back. What are you reading? Gray repied.

"Oh. It's on all the phoenix. They are becoming very rare." Levy answered.

"Well I found one and she's out in the back lot because she kind of on the large side." Gray answered.

"You found a phoenix?! What color is it?" Levy exclaimed excitedly. She had only seen a phoenix in her books.

"She's silvery white with two long feathers beside her tail that sort looks like a peacock's at the end of each." Grey answered, hoping he could learn a little more on his special friend. Levy quickly flipped through the pages and found it.

"Gray, I think you found the legendary ice phoenix." Levy replied, flipping through her book that told the about the legendary white phoenix. After a minute, she found what she had been. "Here it is; but it's just a short piece. Do you want me to read it to you Gray?"

"Please. I'm curious to know more about her." Gray spoke. Levy read out excitedly.

"Well it say: " _ **The Ice Phoenix is commonly known as the Bird of Freezing and Wind because it brings with it Winter Winds and Cold as it flies. It brings wind to move the seeds of new generations to places where they can thrive and grow. It also traps the dead decaying plants for next spring so new plants have a good source of nutrients to grow.**_

 _ **The Ice Phoenix is the eldest of the three. It 'Wipes the slate clean' for next soli and marks the return of the Phoenix.**_

 _ **The Ice Phoenix's feather is known to be eternally cold and icey. It can cool the hottest flames and bring cold winds wherever it goes. it can also freeze a body of water with one touch to the surface.''**_

Levy read out excitedly."

"Well I don't know about the freezing, cold or the winds. I never saw any of that come from her, or when she was holding me." Gray answered.

"I agree with Gray, I was sitting on her back and I actually felt comfortable and warm. There might have been bit of wind when she was flying, but there was nothing else.

"I am wondering if those...attributes are part of her magic." the master wondered.

"You me to say that she has magic master?" Gray asked, surprised.

"Yes child, from what I understand from the legend, she is indeed very powerful. And from what I saw earlier, very gentle as well. It would be foolishness to make her angry." the master answered. I wonder if she can shrink so she can come inside.

"Gray, is she able to change her size; like becoming smaller? The rest of us would like to see what she looks like." Laki asked.

"I don't know Laki. I haven't had much time to think of that. I'll go and ask her." Gray replied, wishing he had thought of that sooner.

"I'll go with you Gray. I wouldn't mind seeing her do that, if she can." the master replied. The two got up and headed to the back door and quickly found the bird waiting by the steps by the wall.

"Do you know how to change you size? It would be nice if you could shrink so you are able to come inside." Gray asked.

He watched as his friend thought deeply for a moment and then closed her eyes in concentration. In a moment, she began to shrink until she was small enough for Gray to pick up. Gray started to do so, but the master stopped him and went to get a thick pad out of the nearby shed.

"Gray, you better put this on your shoulder so her talons don't dig in to you." the master replied.

"Good thinking gramps. I don't need anymore injuries than already have." Gray replied taking the pad and putting it on his shoulder and let his feathery friend step on to the pad before letting go. He smiled at her, letting the bird know that she had just enough pressure to hang on and not hurt him.

When they went inside, Gray went over to his table and sat down. The others were amazed at how beautiful the bird was, but kept a respectful distance so they wouldn't scare the bird.

"She's beautiful Gray! Has she got a name?" one member called out.

"No. I was going to think up a name for her. I was going to think of one. Any of you have any ideas?" Gray asked.

After a few minutes, the members started calling out names. Some were down right ridiculous, others were possibilities. Then Levy and Laki came out with two that really seemed to fit his friend perfectly. Storm and Silver.

"That's it. I'll give her two names, since Levy's and Laki's names both fit her perfectly. Members of the guild, I name my friend and new member of Fairy Tail...Silver Storm!" Gray announced proudly. The newly named Silver Storm hopped up and down excitedly, loving her new name.

"Now Gray, Silver Storm will need to have have the emblem stamped on her if she is going to be a full fledged member of the Fairy Tail guild. Where do you think MiraJane should put it?" the master asked.

"Why don't you ask her gramps? Mira will have to bring over all the stamps though." Gray replied, smirking at the master's surprised look.

"She can understand what we are saying?" makurov asked in shocked surprise.

"I don't know how, but she can. Just watch and you'll understand." Gray replied with a knowing smile as he saw MiraJane walk over with a box full of the colored stamps. "Which color do you want Silver, and where do you want MiraJane to put it?"

Silver looked at the stamps for a moment then pointed her beak to a medium grey/silver and lifted her right wing, near her shoulder. MiraJane smiled and pressed the stamp to Silver's wing near the shoulder. Master Makurov and the rest of the guild were very surprised. Everyone gladly raised their mugs of beer and welcomed Silver to the guild.

"I must say that it will be interesting to see the rest of Team Natsu's reaction to our new friend, Silver Storm Macao replied. Everyone else agreed.

"Well we'll all be here to help with this matter Gray, Silver Storm." Wanabe proclaimed. Everyone cheered again.

Hope you guys enjoy this chapter. If you have any suggestions, please let me hear them. I appreciate the help, as much as I like helping.


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